HOUSTON, Texas – Rice University head men’s golf coach Justin Emil announced the addition of assistant coach JJ Wood to his staff on Wednesday. Wood brings to the Owls a wealth of instructional experience and playing success.

Emil said, “The addition of Coach Wood as our assistant coach is huge for the team. He brings a lot to the table with his impressive golf playing career and also the experience he has as an instructor. Those things, combined with strong competitiveness and high personal character, will impact not only the current team but also help recruit top prospects to join our program.”

Most recently, Wood served as the Director of Instruction at Pecan Grove Country Club outside of Houston, where he developed instruction programs and taught private lessons. He also managed a team of instructors and fitness coaches and managed managerial tasks for the department.

Wood has worked as a golf instructor since concluding his collegiate playing career in 2007. As an undergraduate, he played three years at Pepperdine University and led the Waves to three West Coast Conference championships and the NCAA Tournament finals.

Upon his graduation in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in natural science and business with a sport administration emphasis, Wood enrolled in graduate school at the University of Oklahoma. He played his final season with the Sooners in 2006-07 and was the team’s stroke average leader. Wood graduated from OU in 2008 with a Masters of Education.

Along with competing in the 2007 U.S. Amateur Championship, Wood was the medalist in the Arizona Men’s Amateur Stroke Play Medalist the same year and played professionally in the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in 2008 as well as other tours as a pro.

As an instructor, Wood has also coached at Calabasas Country Club (Calabasas, Calif.), Woodforest Golf Club (Montgomery, Texas) and Matt Swanson School of Golf (Houston, Texas). Additionally, Wood has industry experience as a corporate sales executive for the Houston Golf Association and as a learning enhancement center supervisor with Oklahoma’s Athletic Academic Services department. He is also a registered PGA Apprentice with the PGA of America.

The San Diego, Calif. native represented the United States at the World Junior Golf Cup in 1998 and won the International Junior Golf Tournament in 2001.

Wood earned all-state, all region and all-conference accolades all four seasons at 5A Yuma High School. He was inducted into the school’s hall of fame in 2008.